Bola Tinubu a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, vowed not to betray President Muhammadu Buhari, if he emerges president in 2023.
He made it clear during a meeting with the APC Senators, Tinubu urged the senators to support his lifetime ambition to be the president of Nigeria.
The APC leader, who was received by APC senators, led by the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, said that his ambition is not about gaining power but securing good government for the nation.
His words: “Nigerians have come to that stage where we need a change of baton. President Muhammadu Buhari is about to serve his second term in full.
“Election is coming up in February 2023. We have various programmes, including the nomination process, primary process and all of that. I can’t do it by myself and I can’t do it by sitting at home expecting that many friends I have here will do it for me.
“I believe jointly we can do it. You can back me successfully for the nomination of my lifetime ambition to become the president. My ambition is not blind to the extent that I will step on the toes of the President. I just want to step into his shoes and not on his toes.
“I’m asking for that teammanship here to get me over the hump of the nomination process and from that hump, to get me to the presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Look at my capacity. I am an unusual candidate. Perhaps the only one who had been in the Senate, who had been a governor and aspiring to become president.”
On his plans for the country if elected President, he said: “We will use that unity, the symbol of our party to cleanse Nigeria of unrealisable potential.”
The national leader who hailed the Senate on the passage of the Constitution Alteration Bill, said, “Thank you for sustaining our democracy. I ran into a little ambush of women protesters because I went to the other gate.
“Interestingly, you have been very careful on affirmative action and you are been very careful not to jeopardise the Constitution.
“Yes the interests of women are necessary but for APC, we are doing our best and we continue to do our best to accommodate the interest of our women.”
Also speaking at the House of Representatives, Tinubu revealed he had a discussion with President Buhari to succeed him after his tenure in 2023.
Tinubu made the disclosure in a meeting with the APC members in the House of Representatives while formally informing them of his ambition to run for president of Nigeria.
The former governor of Lagos State said that he was the only Nigerian, most qualified that was running for the President, saying that others were hiding.
According to him, President Buhari, during the discussion, “joyfully and enthusiastically” asked him to come out for them to see how he will promote his democratic credentials.
Responding, the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, who assured Tinubu that Senators would continue to remain united to ensure the success of the President’s administration, however, explained that external factors were mainly responsible for the social and economic challenges the country has been facing since the APC took over power in 2019.
Lawan said: “Everybody looks up to the APC to save this country come 2023 and we have people who can make this happen within the party. We need to remain focused and united as a political party. We have people that can make things happen across the country. We must continue to be progressives in our thinking and in our actions.
“President Buhari has provided good leadership which we should leverage upon in 2023. That is why we have to remain committed as party members. 2023 will be a year of the APC that is why we must all work hard to make this happen.”
